HistoriaThe medium is the message…

Intellectual Culture:

Historia (ἱστορία = inquiries)

• historia –learning by examination, inquiry; the knowledge so gained.

• A processing of information to discover a truth.• Implies critical evaluation, comparison, qualification.

• histor – a wise man, a judge.

The Seven Sages:

• Thales of Miletus (624-547 BC.)• Solon of Athens (c.624-560)• Pittacus of Mitylene (650-570)• Bias of Priene (flourit ca. 570)• Chilon of Sparta (Ephor in 556)• Cleobulus of Lindus (6th. cent.)• Myson of Chen (6th. cent.)• Or:• Periander of Corinth (late 7th. Cent)

Cleobulus

Thales

Solon Bias

Chilon

PittacusMyson

Tripods etc.

• Golden tripod offered to “the wisest.”• Golden bowl “who has done the most with his wisdom”• Golden goblet• All of the Sages refused the award… is the point.

The Pre-Socratics:• Kosmos (order)• Chaos (disorder)• Nature (physis)

• Sought the origin (arche) of all things• Milesians:

• Thales• Anaximander• Anaximenes

Miletus

Essence, Arché

Thales

• Of Miletus• A descendant of Cadmus• 624 - 547

• Learned Geometry in Egypt• Five Theorems of Elementary Geometry• Foretold of the eclipse of 28 May, 585 • Water is the arche.

Anaximander• 610 – 575 BC• The earth is a sphere and floats free in space• Celestial bodies circle the earth.• The moon’s light is from the sun• The sun is a ball of fire• Published his Historia late in life

Anaximenes• Student of Anaximander• ca. 585 – ca 528 BC

• Air is the ‘arche’• "Being made finer it [air] becomes fire, being made

thicker it become wind, then cloud, then (when thicker still more) water, then earth, then stones; and the rest come into being through these" (Phys. 24. 26).

• Air is arche, ergo eternal, ergo divine

Solon of Athens

Dracon

First Public Lawca. 621 B.C.Political power to the hoplites (?)All offences punishable by death”

“because the least offence deserves it, and I couldn’t think of anything worse for the more serious offences.”

Solon

Originally from Salamis ca. 624 –558Archon in 594/3Asked to reform the constitution in 592Repealed Dracon’s law code.Best laws? “Best they would accept”

Solon’s Constitution

• EcclesiaAssembly of citizensPreviously restricted by property

• BouleOpen to all but the ThetesPurely deliberative

• Areopagus (Hill of Ares)A ‘supreme court’ of sorts

Solon’s Reforms

Written law code Public law means rule of law

Heliaia A ‘people’s court’ Anyone could bring a prosecution

Seisachtheia “shaking off of burdens” Hectemoroi (sixth part people) The body as chattel

The Archon in Athens Nine archons served for one year Took office on 21 June (1 Hecatombeon) Chosen from the eupatridae

Eponymous Archon Supervised civil administration

Archon Basileus Supervised religious functions

Polemarch President of the board of strategoi

6 Thesmothetai Supervisors of the laws

Joined the Areopagus council

Tyrants

• One-man rule• No constitutional foundation• Popular support• Usually:

• initiated to solve a crisis• Absolute power corrupts absolutely• Economically beneficial• Ruthless

Pisistratus

• 560 B.C.• Takes control of Athens as Tyrant• "He was supported by the majority of both nobles and

the common people (Arist. A.P. 16.9)• Civic programs• Economic prosperity• The Iliad• Succeeded by his son, Hippias, in 527 BC.

CleisthenesThe Birth of Democracy

Democracy• Hippias• 510 BC: Hippias deposed• 509 BC: Cleisthenes creates the first democracy.• Legislative power given to the Ecclesia• All citizens, regardless of wealth• Isonomia• Isegoria

Citizenship

• 18 yrs.• Enrolled in his father’s deme• Served as a military cadet for 2 yrs.

• 20 yrs• Eligible to attend the Ecclesia

• 30 yrs• Full citizen• Eligible to serve as a magistrate (Boule, Strategos, etc)

Citizenship• A person who…

• Could own land• Served in the military

• Women• Rights and legal protection…• But did not vote or hold political office

• Metics• Foreign residents with few rights

• Slaves• Roughly 50% of the population

Natural Philosophy• Pythagoras of Samos

• 569 – 476• Captive in Babylon

• Philo (love) sophia (wisdom)• Lovers of wisdom – but no man can be wise

• Harmonic ratios 2:1, 3:2 and 4:3 used in music.• "Golden Mean" 1:1:2:3:5:8:13:21:34:55:89• Ration of 1 to 1.618• Earth rotates around the sun• Transmigration of the soul

a = 55

b = 89

a

Xenophanes of Colophon570 – 478 BC

• Attempts to define existence• Founder of the Eleatic School

• Wrote Elegiac poetry• One God, one Universe• A supreme being cannot be created or destroyed• God is the animating power of the universe• Man’s concept of God is an illusion

Relativism:

• Xenophanes of Colophon:“Mortals made their gods, and furnished them with

their own body, voice and garments.Our gods have flat noses and black skin, say the

Ethiopians. The Thracians say, our gods have red hair and hazel eyes”

The Persian Empire in 510 BC

Persia in the Aegean ca 510

Parmenides of Elea

• Flourit ca 500 BC• Possibly student of Xenophanes• Pythagorean

• On Nature• Written in verse• Divine inspiration• The goddess Wisdom revealed to him the “unchangeable heart of

Truth”• Translation

Parmenides• Man-made truths

• We are fooled by empiricism• The Phenomenal world is illusion

• Absolute truth• Existence is : cannot become or cease to be• The true Existence is the mind.• Logic and reason are the guides to Truth

Anaxagoras

• 500 – 428 BC• Nature itself, like humans and animals, could be a sentient

being – could have a Mind (νοός) (Arist. Met. 984b)• If Mind motivates things to come into being then it must do so

for some purpose, and that purpose must be The Good (Arist. Met. 1075b, 1091b).

• First to postulate the zero-sum balance of the universe.• Teacher of Pericles, Euripides and Socrates

Historia Intellectual Culture: Historia (ἱστορία = inquiries)The Seven Sages:Slide Number 5Tripods etc.The Pre-Socratics:Slide Number 8Essence, ArchéThalesAnaximanderAnaximenesSlide Number 13Solon of AthensSlide Number 15DraconSolonSolon’s ConstitutionSolon’s ReformsSlide Number 20TyrantsPisistratusCleisthenesDemocracyCitizenshipCitizenshipNatural PhilosophySlide Number 28Xenophanes of Colophon�570 – 478 BCRelativism:The Persian Empire in 510 BCPersia in the Aegean ca 510Parmenides of EleaParmenidesAnaxagoras